Hunting & Fishing Game Cameras

[GUNNER75]

My first real game cameras were Bushnell. Had a couple different models up to and including the HD units. For the last 3 or 5 years I have lost about 2 to 3 cameras per year due to them just up and quitting. So I run about 9 cameras all year long. (give or take a couple)

I go camera shopping and have come to the conclusion along with other input that cameras don't last that long.

What is the life expectancy of your cameras? 2 yrs, 4 yrs, 6 yrs, or plus. Keep in mind I run my 24/7/365

I don't care for the night photo's so much on the Bushnell compared to others, but overall, I have to give them an "ok" avg for price, function, and consistent photo's.

I welcome your input on seasoned camera users.

 

[Nuke Man]

I picked up a Primos Truth Cam Ultra 46 about 3 months ago. The IR night pics are crap, very blurry where it counts(horns). It runs on AA batteries and have lasted so far. The daytime pics are very good though. My buddy runs wildgame innovations cams and has had good success. I may break down and try a cuddieback.

 

[shooter1054]

I have gotten into game cams in the last 3-4 years. I bought the WildGame Innovations cheap($35) WalMart cams and they are hit or miss. When they work, they work well for the money. I also "splurged" and got a couple of Moultrie D-55 cams. I've been very happy with them. They take good pics both day and night. Very simple to set up. I'm going to replace the WGI cams that have crapped out with more Moultrie. We've also used a Simmons cam that was given to my buddy. It has worked well too.

 

[RTH1800]

I have gone through 3 "sets" of 12 cameras.
I do not recall the first ones but they actually had two units. A transmitter and a receiver and a camera that mounted on top. Made in Overland Park KS. Lasted several years, but were a real pain aligning all the units. Say 6 years.
Next were 12 Cuddyback cams. Used from 06 to '12. Three were stolen. A few went in for repair. The remaining 9 were still working when I pulled them last winter. Fairly good cameras. If anyone wants them, let me know, I will give them a heck of a deal.
I replaced with Reconyx cameras and they are great. Simple, easy to use, good pictures. Expensive for the casual user. Lot of money to hang in a tree in an unsecure area.

 

[Outdoorsman9]

Covert Black 60 is one badass camera... not the cheapest but definitely not the most expensive. The ability to take 12mp pictures is nice and you can get some really nice detail.

 

[AfghanDM]

CuddeBack Attack IR... been running three of them around the farm 24/7 for over a year. No issues to date. The initial cost sucked (they're expensive), but they're nice, reliable cameras.

 

[LanceS4803]

Check out this website. They offer indepth reviews of trail cameras.
Chasingame.com: Scouting Camera Reviews | Performance Reviews | Trail Camera Models compared | Sample Pictures and Movies

BTW, I am partial to the Moultrie M-80 series of cameras (regular and blackout). Great battery life and can change between trail cam, plot cam and video.

 

[matchking]

I use game cameras constantly for work. Reconyx is the ONLY brand I can recommend and I have pretty much tried them all.

 

[GUNNER75]

Thanks for the input fellas. I have 3 Bushnell cameras going in for repair/replace. Testing 2 that I had issues with as they may be taking a trip as well.

I ended up picking up 3 more of the HD's at a smoking price so I should be set for this year.

Will have to check out all the new cameras at SHOT and see what I come up with.

 

[Rabbitz]

Take it from a guy who has owned over 30 cameras. Bushnell, Cuddeback , Reconyx , etc... Reconyx , as expensive as they are, are the only camera I buy these days. They take perfect pictures hardly ever blurring. The cameras I have have never failed. We set ours and don't check them for 5 weeks at a time and there are no worries about them not working. Bushnell would be my second choice. They have a decent sensor and take relitvley good pictures. But Reconyx is second to none.

 

[leagle2]

Buckeye Cam and Reconyx. Both tough and great trigger speed. (I was tired of getting a picture of a deer's hind quarters on a Cuddeback.) Buckeyes are in use by several govt agencies including border patrol.

 

[vpexp]

I have tried several and settled on Reconyx. We have about 20 of them out. 6 or so are the old rapid fires and the rest are the new hyperfires. The new ones take 12 lithium batteries and will run for at least 9 months. Like anything man made they break down. Currently I have 3 of them at Reconyx for repair. Their customer service is great and they will get them back to me in short order. I have recently added a few covert black 60's. They take great pictures up to 12 MP, do video and audio, and use black flash tecnology. They take many more "false" pics than the reconyx and most guys will tape over a portion of the PIR sensor to eliminate some of that. Reconyx are more reliable and less hassle than the Coverts but they really are in need of an update. They are 3 MP, no video. For most purposes the 3 MP is OK, but you can see much more detail with the 12 MP files off the Covert, letting you read lisence plates, look at details of a bucks rack, etc. rumors are that Reconyx will have an updated version available next year, but that was the rumor last year.

 

[Bronco]

Using 3 Moultrie M-990i currently, they are new so no idea how they will last. Easy to set up, good daytime pics, night are ok although not a lot of experience yet. No flash or glow at night, capable of video and sound. 70 ft. no-glow nighttime illumination and they trip at longer distance than most I've tried. 9500 photos using 8 AA batteries. Accept up to 32 GB SD card. So far I'm happy, we'll see how they hold up.